Calla Lily Plant Named &#39;Diva Bianca&#39;

ABSTRACT

‘Diva Bianca’ is a new variety of calla lily plant having white colored spathes and a sweet fragrance. The leaves are green with no maculations present.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/766,213, having a filing date of Oct. 5, 2018, and entitled “Varieties of Z. aethiopica calla Lily Plants”, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

Botanical classification: Zantedeschia aethiopica.

Varietal denomination: ‘Diva Bianca’.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of calla lily, botanically known as Zantedeschia aethiopica and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘Diva Bianca’.

‘Diva Bianca’ is a product of a planned breeding program and the new cultivar was selected in Santa Cruz, Calif. from the F2 population of the crossing of unpatented Zantedeschia seedling 7006-A (female parent) with unpatented Zantedeschia seedling 95104-44J (male parent).

Asexual reproductions of ‘Diva Bianca’ have demonstrated that the combination of characteristics as herein disclosed for the new variety are retained and reproduced true to type through successive generations of asexual reproduction.

Color references are made to the 2001 R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society of London, 4^(th) Edition, except where general color terms of ordinary significance are used.

The present invention has not been evaluated under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary with variations in environment without a change in the genotype of the plant.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and determined to be basic characteristics of ‘Diva Bianca’ which, in combination, distinguish this calla lily as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. White colored spathes;     -   2. No leaf maculations; and     -   3. Sweet fragrance.

Table 1 provides a comparison of ‘Diva Bianca’ to similar Zantedeschia aethiopica varieties ‘A405’ (U.S. plant patent pending), ‘Innocence’ (unpatented), and ‘Avalanche’ (unpatented). Further, ‘Diva Bianca’ produces 25-50% more flower stems than ‘Innocence’.

TABLE 1 Comparison Comparison Present variety variety Differing trait(s) expression expression ‘A405’ Plant height 30-40 cm 110-150 cm ‘Innocence’ Forcing time 20-25 weeks  18-21 weeks Spathe color White Group RHS White Group RHS 155B 155C ‘Avalanche’ Leaf maculations Present None present

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying photographic drawing illustrates the new variety, with the colors being as nearly true as is possible with color illustrations of this type.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW PLANT

-   Type: Evergreen.     -   -   Main use.—Cut flower.         -   Forcing time.—18-21 weeks.         -   Disease/pest resistance.—Very strong tolerance to Pythium             root rot and bacteria soft rot.         -   Plant height.—110-150 cm.         -   Fragrance.—Sweet aroma present.         -   Leaves.—Green, with no maculations present.         -   Spathe.—Length: 17-23 cm. Width: 12-16 cm. Throat spot:             Absent. Color: White Group RHS 155C. 

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of calla lily plant named ‘Diva Bianca’ as herein described and illustrated. 